394 Mr. F. Smith o/i the Parasitism 



even after they have passed into the pupa state. They scarcely 

 appear to cease eating, except now and then for a minute or 

 so, from the time they first begin to feed till they have become 

 full-grown." 



Thus we learn that Mr. Stone's observation was not confined 

 to that of the single larva " attached to the full-groAvn larva 

 of the wasp; " on the contrary, from subsequent observations, 

 he was enabled to ascertain that these creatures, in the pupa- 

 state, retain in their grasjo the skin of their victims. 



Again, he says, " I took out thirteen more nests of V. vul- 

 garis, Avhich contained examples of Rhijnjyhorus^ either in the 

 larva-, pupa-, or perfect state. In one that had been destroyed 

 by means of gas-tar a few days before, I was fortunate in dis- 

 covering a small larva of Rhipijihorits firmly attached to its 

 victim : both were dead, and had become partially dried ; so 

 that when immersed in spirits they did not separate, but re- 

 mained attached just as they were before death. 



" Another nest was taken out on the 2nd of September ; and 

 on a closed cell being opened, that was ajipropriated to a 

 queen, a larva of Rliijnphorns was discovered ; an adjoining- 

 cell contained a pupa ; both these Avere about double the size 

 of larva3 and pupa3 found in cells of worker wasps." 



Shortly after the publication of Mr. Stone's paper in the 

 ' Zoologist,' vol. xxiii. (1865), that gentleman presented to 

 me the whole of the collection he had made of larvaj and pupse 

 alluded to in his paper, I have before me a small phial con- 

 taining the larva of the wasp that has that of its destroyer 

 firmly attached to it, as mentioned above ; I have also a phial 

 that contains a number of pupte extracted from worker-cells, 

 together with one extracted from a queen's cell, showing how 

 greatly these parasites differ in size ; then I have larvae of 

 wasps only partially devoured, together with undergrown larvjc 

 of Ilhipijjhorus. To myself such evidence is conclusive; 

 and it only remains necessary that I examine hoAv far Mr. 

 Murray's discoveries are reconcilable with the apparently 

 proved habit of the parasitism of Rhijnjyhorus as discovered 

 by Mr. Stone. 



Mr. Murray informs us that Miss Ormerod observed some 

 cells with two eggs in each (about four in a score had two 

 eggs) ; in others a young larva at the bottom, and an q^<^ not 

 yet hatched adhering to the cell higher up. Mr. Murray in 

 these cases regards one of the eggs as that of R/tipijfhorus • 

 this is exactly what I should conchide Avould be the case ; the 

 ef^g of the parasite, since it feeds upon the full-grown larva of 

 the wasp, after the latter has spun the silken covering to the 

 cell, would remain imdcvcloped until the wasp-larva was full- 



